Israel & Greece Christian Tour With Greek Cruise

A 8 Days / 7 Nights Christian Tour in Israel with 5 Days / 4 Nights in Greece with 3-day Cruise Included

Itinerary

DAY 1: Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv

Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv where we will meet and transfer you to Tel Aviv. The day is at leisure, dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.

DAY 2: Tel Aviv / Caesarea / Mt. Carmel / Nazareth / Galilee

Breakfast and departure for a sightseeing tour of the city of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. We will remember the presence of Simon Peter, the resurrection of Tabitah and vision of the house of Simon the tanner. (Acts 9-10). We will follow through the Sharon Plain (Song of Songs, 1.1) to Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital and home to Cornelius, the first converted (Acts 10-11). We visit the ancient Roman Theatre, the Aqueduct and the Crusades ruins. Continue to Mount Carmel and the city Haifa, which was the confrontation of Elijah against the false prophets of Baal (Kings, 1, 18, 20). Then we will attend an evening sightseeing tour of Nazareth and Cana of Galilee (John 2.1). Dinner and overnight in Galilee.

DAY 3: Tiberias / Upper Galilee / Caesarea / Jordan River

Departure after the breakfast for the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sermon famous scenery of the Mountains (Matthew 5). Continuing to Capernaum, a city of Jesus and the center of his preaching in Galilee. We will explore the lake of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) to Caesarea Philippi of which Simon Peter pleaded (Matthew 16:16). We will see the region of Upper Galilee, and Decapolis. We will return to Lake Tiberias for a ride on the boat, according to ancient tradition. We will end the day on the banks of the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Overnight at hotel in Galilee.

DAY 4: Tiberias / Valley of Armageddon / Beit Shean / Jerusalem

After breakfast departure to the Valley of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) where we visit Mount Megiddo, ancient fortress of King Solomon. We pass through Beit Shean, ancient capital of the Decapolis, continue through the Jordan Valley, Jericho saw (Joshua 4) and go up the old route of pilgrims to Jerusalem. We will celebrate our triumphant entry to Jerusalem according to ancient tradition of the pilgrims in a solemn and special way. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 5: Jerusalem / Bethlehem

Breakfast and visit to the panoramic view of the city from the Mount of Olives. Continue to Mount Zion, where the tomb of King David lies, the great room where we will remember the scene of Easter and Pentecost (Acts 2), the Ascension of Jesus (Acts, 1) as well as the entry triumph on Palm Sunday, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, which today has preserved millennial olive trees. We will be on the banks of the ancient valley of Cedron and the valley of Josepha at the foot of the centuries-old walls of Jerusalem. We will continue to Bethlehem, where we will visit the Basilica of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus (Luke 2). On the way back to Jerusalem we will have a view of the Shepherds’ Field, the fields of Boaz (Ruth 2.1). Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 6: Jerusalem

Breakfast and visit at the millennial Jerusalem Wailing Wall as well as the terrace of the temple. We continue to Via Dolorosa through the narrow alleys of the old city of Jerusalem to Damascus Gate. We will visit the Garden Tomb and Calvary. Ability to enter into service in this special place. Then we will enjoy a panoramic view of the modern city of Jerusalem, the Parliament (Knesset), the Hebrew University. Visit to the Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem) and the Book Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 7: Desert of Judea / Qumran / Masada and the Dead Sea

Departure from the hotel after breakfast, through the Judean desert. We will see the inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), according to Qumran, where they were the Dead Sea Scrolls found. We continue to Massada (resistance in the history of the Jewish Zealots against Herod’s Roman). Ascent by cable car to the imposing fortress, last fortification of the Zealots and visit to Herod’s palace excavations, Roman baths, etc. We follow the Dead Sea, the lowest place in the world. We will pause in the Dead Sea with time to bathe in the Dead Sea waters, considered medicinal waters. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 8: Jerusalem / Ben Gurion Airport / Athens

According to the schedule of your flight you will be transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for taking the flight to Athens. Athens is one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. We will visit the main points of interest in the city: the Acropolis, the Parthenon and Mars’ Hill (Areopagus) where Paul preached the truth to the Gentile Nation. View the Agora (Marketplace) where Paul met the Stoic philosophers and take your time for a group devotion before you continue to Plaka for free time. After this, you will be transferred to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 9: Athens / Piraeus (Embarkation) / Mykonos

Embark on a wonderful 3-night cruise to the Greek Islands and Turkey. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily while on board. Mykonos, the whitewashed jewel of the Cyclades Islands, is your first stop. This charming, mountainous island is known for the hundreds of tiny chapels, white-washed buildings and beautiful windmills that dot its landscape. Don’t miss taking a stroll down Mykonos Town, where mazes of narrow streets link the whitewashed buildings and traditional life continues amidst the bustling activity. Enjoy free time to explore this little paradise in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

DAY 10: Kusadasi / Ephesus / Patmos

Breakfast and stop at the Turkish port of Kusadasi for an included excursion to the ruins of Ephesus where Paul the Saint spent three years during his ministry and where its inhabitants were the recipients of Paul’s famous epistle. Ancient Ephesus was the Roman capital of Asia Minor and an important center for Christianity from AD 50s. During AD52-54 Saint Paul lived here working with the congregation and organizing his missionary activity and taught the Word of God (Acts 20:31) and this is where he wrote the Epistle to Corinthians I. Additionally this was one of the seven cities found in the Book of Revelation(Acts 2:1-7), indicating a strong church. We will visit the house of Virgin Mary where she lived with John, on the hill behind the city. After this amazing experience we will have lunch and then visit the Basilica of St. John as well as the ruins of the famous Diana’s temple with the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Odeon, the Arch of Hercules, the Temple of Hadrian, the Agora and the Greco-Roman theater. Continue your cruise to the island of Patmos, a beautiful and spiritual island where in 95 AD, St. John the Theologian - one of the twelve disciples of Jesus - was sent into exile. St. John remained on the island for eighteen months during which time he lived in a cave below the hilltop temple of Diana. In this cave exists a small hole in the rock wall, from which derived a series of oracular messages that Prochoros, a disciple of St. John, transcribed as the Biblical chapter of Revelations. During his time in the sacred cave, now known as the Holy Grotto of the Revelation, St. John also composed the Fourth Gospel. During our time there we will visit the Monastery of St. John the Theologian UNESCO World Heritage Site where we will see the Holy Grotto as well as priceless icons and manuscripts. Afterwards, drive back to the port of Scala and enjoy some free time in this quaint and picturesque harbor.

DAY 11: Heraklion (Crete) / Santorini

In the morning the ship will dock at the port of Heraklion on the island of Crete. In Heraklion Paul met the owner and captain of the ship, who warned him about continuing his journey to Rome. You can take a tour (optional) to the Palace of Knossos, the center of the Minoan civilization. After lunch, the ship will travel to the most beautiful island in the Aegean Sea known as the “Black Pearl of the Aegean”, the volcanic Santorini where we will enjoy the breathtaking Panoramic View. Latest excavations have suggested that Santorini might be the lost sight of Atlantis.

DAY 12: Piraeus / Corinth / Athens Airport

After breakfast, we will continue towards ancient Corinth (Acts 18.1-18). It was in ancient Corinth where Paul came and worked, established a thriving church and writing two of the epistles, which are now part of the New Testament. We will see all the sites that are associated with his ministry: the Agora, the Temple of Apollo, the roman Odeon, the Bema and Gallio’s seat, the pillars, stairs, and the place of public worship, where Paul preached. All these visits will certainly enhance the understanding of Corinthians I and II. Afterwards we will visit the ancient Greek port of Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) where Paul was during his second missionary journey and the ruin of the early Christian 5th Century basilica and the citadel of Ancient Corinth: the Acrocorinth. Continue to scenic city of Loutraki located on the waterfront for free time before you return to your coach for 1 hour and 30 minutes driving to Athens Airport for taking your flight back home full of memories from the Footsteps of Paul.